Onset
by Kryalla Orchid
Summary: E'ara universe. Something was coming. One-shot.


_**Disclaimer : Teen Titans are not mine, they belong to DC Comics and Warner Bros.**_

_**Broken Record moment:**__ Aussie, spelling, slang, word usage is all different. _

_**Author's Note: **__Part of my__** E'ara universe**__, so it will be frequently referenced. If you have not read it, you may not understand some sections of this, but feel free to read it anyway.  
_

_Kry's Xmas special! Merry Christmas! And Halloween… and Thanksgiving… Hanukah, Yuletide, or whatever else you might celebrate this time of year. It's early because I'm about to be inundated with family, school concerts, Christmas shopping, work parties, family parties, school parties and my baby's first birthday. Wow._

_**Big Fat Warning:**__ 'tis an M. Adult situations (part of which apparently disturbed Kater, you are warned!). Kry trying to be funny. Crude humour. Occasional vulgarity. Dangly bits. You know the drill._

* * *

_**Onset.**_

It had been mutual.

He had to keep telling himself that.

It was mutual. They'd both decided. They'd talked long and hard, discussed the pros and cons and orb-y repercussions, researched, weighted up their options, even considered his father's reaction and whether it was truly worth it before they reached their decision. Together they faced the unequivocal truth. It was time.

Together, they sat down and informed the other Titans of their decision. They hadn't quite been prepared for the different levels of shock they received. Surely the others had been expecting this.

Cyborg stared at them blankly, his jaw slack, his hands leaving a sweaty trail on the table as they slipped to his lap. Raven lifted her hood, her face shrouded, but both could feel her penetrating gaze on them. Changeling, formerly Beast Boy, whistled, loud and long, followed by a disbelieving exclamation of 'dudes'.

Plans were made and broken within that single moment. The original Titans were family, they had to be told, the decision would affect all of them.

Yet, nothing had prepared them. Any of them. Even the mighty Batman, nestled safely away in his dark and gloomy cavern, would crumble under the weight of this decision.

As Oracle exclaimed after she'd recovered from the initial shock, "There _are_ going to be baby Dicks!"

Raven snorted, then smothered it. "Why the rush? It's only six months since the second wedding."

Starfire and Nightwing had been married twice, once on Tamaran when they were eighteen, then again on Earth when they were twenty seven. The second wedding, between Kori and Dick, had been delayed because of Bruce Wayne's insistence Kori and Dick could not have the picturesque life Nightwing and Starfire had. So, to protect their secret identities, Dick and Kori had publicly broken up, and Dick developed the image of a playboy, just like his father, when in reality all the women he dated was Kori hidden under a hologram ring. Dick finally threatened to just get Kori pregnant and create a scandal before Bruce had consented to their marriage on Earth. Now, it was time to follow through on the threat. They were more than ready.

"We wished to wait until we were settled in Bludhaven," Starfire said.

She and Nightwing had moved there just after their second wedding, just as Changeling and Raven had moved to Africa and Beast Boy had changed his name and image, 'to better reflect the adult I am now,' he'd said. Which was true, most of the time. Cyborg had chosen to stay on at the Tower, training the newest generation of Titans, while Oracle while was immersed in the running of the Birds of Prey.

"It has been almost ten years since we were married on Tamaran," Nightwing added, glancing at his beloved wife. "Besides, these things take time to—"

Cyborg woke up. "Take time?" he blurted. "You mean, she ain't pregnant now? Geez, man, I didn't need to know you'll be sexin' her 'til she's knocked up!"

Nightwing stared at Cyborg for a moment. "That's a rather crude way of putting it."

"Well, it's true. I really didn't need to know."

"Yes, you do," Nightwing began, leaning on the table in front of them. "We need your help—"

"Uh-uh," Cyborg said, emphatically. "No way. You so don't need our help to knock my sister up. I don't wanna be holdin' anyone's hand for that."

"Aren't your swimmers up to the task, Dick?" Changeling asked, looking both woeful and struggling not to laugh.

"What?" Nightwing looked at Changeling disbelieving, certain he'd misheard. "Are you insinuating I—"

"Swimmers, Richard?" Starfire asked curiously.

"Slang," Nightwing told her, refusing to be embarrassed by something trivial. Those days were long past. "For sperm."

Starfire cast a disapproving eye at Changeling.

"Sorry, Star," the green man muttered morosely a moment later and slouched lower in his chair.

"When the blessed event happens, we will need your assistance for the duration of the pregnancy, as well as during labour—" Starfire began.

"Star, I ain't lookin' at your girly bits!" Cyborg protested immediately.

Raven rolled her eyes. "You're not. I am."

Changeling shot up. "That's hot."

"Honestly, I thought you two would mature over the years," Oracle muttered.

"I assume that was what you had in mind?" Raven said, looking at Starfire as she smacked Changeling upside the head without even looking at him.

Starfire nodded. "We would be honoured if you would—"

Raven smiled. "You know you don't have to ask, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Starfire beamed. "Thank you. We shall need your technological assistance as well, Cyborg, there are several Tamaranian monitoring devices I am certain you will wish to adapt for our use. There is also the matter of the human ultrasound technology Richard wishes to utilise for a sonogram."

Cyborg looked relived. "Oh. That. Okay. Yeah, I can do that." He paused for a moment. "I can do the 3D ones, I'm sure."

Nightwing grinned at the thought. "Cool," he said, trying to sound as though it didn't matter.

Starfire continued, "Ours will be the first human-Tamaranian hybrid. We do not know what to expect. With most inter-species procreation there are often difficulties during pregnancy, even with conception. That is why we are seeking your assistance."

"Then there's Star's _morn'lo_," Nightwing said.

"We promised future Rachel I would get thoroughly examined before even considering going into _morn'lo_." The possibility of Starfire dying during labour had weighed heavily in their decision, Starfire decided that the prospect of getting the girl their future counterparts had was worth any risk. Nightwing disagreed, of course, saying that if he had to choose between her and having children, she'd win hands down, but even he couldn't deny he wanted kids. They eventually agreed they both trusted Raven implicitly and as long as she was involved and they all did everything possible in keeping any orby transitions from happening, they'd both feel safer.

Raven nodded. "That's fine, we can do a physical right now if you like."

"That would be great," Nightwing said and glanced at Starfire, who flushed. "There's also an issue with the _morn'lo_ itself."

Raven raised an eyebrow at them. "What sort of issue?"

Starfire cleared her throat. "_Morn'lo_ only occurs once every six months, usually the first one is a trial run for any partners, even pure Tamaranian ones, to see if they are compatible. During any subsequent _morn'lo_, the female is more receptive to that particular male's contribution, and will remain so until she goes into _morn'lo_ with a different male. "

"So, the first one's just a test run, it'll be at least a year before we even get pregnant," Nightwing said.

"Practicing," Changeling whispered conspiringly at Cyborg, who winked in return.

"The problem is _morn'lo_ onset," Nightwing continued, reaching under the table to take Starfire's hand. "While we can approximate it, we have no way in actually telling when it'll strike. As its gradual at first, we'll need help watching for it."

Changeling went pale. "Is this going to be like the Citadel? You're not going to try and—"

Starfire shook her head. "No, that was a forced onset. Naturally, it is much slower and the body has more time to adjust to the changes. But you and Cyborg may be affected by it."

Both men stared at her in confusion. "How so?"

Starfire went red. "I will rather _trysador_—" she frowned, "—amorous. I may become more affectionate toward the two of you than I am normally."

Cyborg and Changeling exchanged glances. "_More_ affectionate?"

"I consider you my brothers," Starfire said. "And Tamaranians are a very exuberant people, I may do… " she paused briefly, "things you may consider inappropriate."

"Girl, if you're sayin' you're going to try and seduce us—"

"Nothing like that," Nightwing said quickly. "We're sure she'll focus her attention on me just like she did last time, just if you happen to notice anything out of the ordinary, let us know. We'll tell you closer to the time."

None of them had been prepared. Not really. They all knew what was _supposed_ to happen. They'd all prepared, reading the texts Starfire had provided, talking to Fyria about what to expect. Raven checked Starfire and gave the all clear. Cyborg stationed several of the new generation of Titans at Bludhaven so, under Nightwing's ever watchful eye, they could learn the city and be prepared to offer aid if Nightwing and Starfire were indisposed.

Starfire went off the _zarlathil_ supplements she'd been taking since undergoing transformation so many years ago. The six of them were ready.

No one thought to warn Bruce.

Changeling was the first to notice anything amiss, his keen senses went into overdrive one morning when Starfire came to Africa for her and Raven's weekly catch-up over breakfast. He couldn't really explain it, he only knew Starfire looked more appetising. The feline in him was drawn to her like catnip, in fact, he couldn't resist turning into a cat and draping himself across her lap to fall asleep in a drug induced haze of aroma. It wasn't until Raven caught him trying tuck his nose into Starfire's inner thigh while he slept on her lap and Starfire becoming far too interested in stroking him, they twigged 'the change' was coming.

Cyborg noticed too. His normally happy, bubbly sister seemed to gain strength overnight. One moment he was receiving one of her bone-crushing greeting hugs, the next, he was sweating and clenching his teeth to keep from crying out as she caused permanent damage to the circuitry in both his upper arms. His instruments also picked up this hazy aura around her, like her green energy was getting ready for something.

Oracle and Raven received the brunt of the change though. While they all were aware Tamaranians became fiercely territorial during _morn'lo_, no one quite expected the territory to suddenly include _all_ the males who made up their family. Neither woman could touch their husbands in Starfire's presence without being growled at. Not just any growl, a deep throated rumbling growl which would echo through the room. Starfire was sincerely apologetic once she realised what she was doing, but she couldn't seem to contain her reaction.

Nightwing was completely off limits. Any female, including Raven and Oracle, who even looked in his direction was a threat. When Candy, Dick Grayson's work partner, was called a _b'tarndac lysderk _(a vile, blue, grotesquely proportioned species of bugs which ate their mates in its nicest translation) by a normally jubilant woman when Candy arrived one morning to pick Dick up for work, Dick immediately went on leave.

On the plus side, alerts in Bludhaven dropped dramatically. It seemed none of the criminals were prepared to deal with a hero, who, instead of kind words and stern lectures, greeted any criminal activity with glowing eyes, whatever large metallic thing was nearby and could be ripped from the ground as a weapon, and _growling_.

And it hadn't even started yet.

Nightwing, true to form, was milking it for all he was worth. He loved the extra attention he was getting from his wife. She purred in her sleep as they snuggled. She rubbed against him, a seeming unconscious action that nevertheless was very appealing. She was insatiable, more so than usual, but still able to control herself. Most of the time. Then again, what man doesn't like getting jumped in the shower every morning?

Starfire had always been sensual, but now, there was something in the way she moved, the way she walked, her hips swishing side to side, how pink her tongue was as she licked milk off her top lip, the way her mouth curved at the edges when she smiled. Everything about Nightwing was on high alert. They hadn't expected that, but whatever pheromones she was releasing was a sirens song for Nightwing, tempting, irresistible.

There had been an unintended side effect of _morn'lo_ from their _a'tiyk valm. _While the _a'tiyk valm_ was normally telepath connection between Nightwing and Starfire, something which had grown after Starfire had gifted Nightwing with a Tamaranian armband called the _e'ara _which they still both wore, Nightwing could now feel everything she felt through their link. _Everything_.

It was hard for Nightwing not to be affected by Starfire's raging hormones. Even brushing her hair could be an erotic experience. She liked the stroking motion and purred while she ran her brush over the length of her hair and it made Nightwing twitchy. Hell, he was so twitchy that he nearly jumped her when she bent over to scratch her knee.

Nightwing and Starfire made plans to disappear for a while, a romantic getaway so to speak. Neither knew what to expect, but judging from their reactions so far, it was probably a good idea to get away from people as a safety precaution. The plan was to travel to the planet that Tamaranians used, it was more equipped to deal with the chaos a Tamaranian in _morn'lo_ might do. They just had a few last minute preparations to make.

Late one night, five days after they first noticed the changes occurring in Starfire, the erotic mental images she was projecting was almost too much for Nightwing to resist and as wicked thoughts of what he'd like to do to her filled his brain, the Nightwatch computer beeped.

Disgruntled, and very glad he was alone and the view screen only showed him from chest high, he answered, half hoping it would be a naked Starfire begging him to come home and satisfy her needs. Which he would do, gladly. Many times over.

Normally stoic and serious, Nightwing was surprised to see an incredibly flustered Batman appear on the screen. "Dick, what the hell?" the caped crusader blurted, without even the custom stoic greeting or stern quip. "Starfire's gone mad!"

Nightwing straightened in his chair. "What?

"Stark, raving mad!" Batman said in a rush, clearly distracted as he looked behind him. "Dick, she's trying to get into my pants!"

Blood drained from Nightwing's face and he felt his heart thump. They'd been so sure she'd fixate on him, but Batman? "What?"

Nightwing caught a glimpse of flowing red hair, heard a playful yowl, and Batman was yanked off camera seemingly by his feet. With ever-mounting dread, Nightwing saw a boot fly, then the other one, then he watched the trajectory of the bat-belt fly across the screen and disappear, clattering to the ground somewhere he couldn't see. Red and purple flashed across the screen after it.

"Starfire! Give them back!" Batman darted into view and Nightwing caught a glimpse of lily-white leg before the cape covered Batman's unmentionables. "I was wearing them!" Batman disappeared from the screen and there was another crash in the background.

"Dad?" Nightwing said uneasily, watching Batman's chair rotate slowly, his ears straining as he tried to hear what was going on. "Star?"

"Take them off! Young lady, those are _my_ pants!"

Nightwing swallowed. "Hello?"

Batman's head inched back into view, his cheeks flaming, and his cape securely around him. "Dick, what the hell is going on? She's insane." He turned his head. "I don't _care_ if you like the smell of the leather," he scolded. "Get your own!"

Nightwing tried not to concentrate on the feeling of euphoria Starfire was projecting. "Ah..."

"And she got into what I can only describe as a catfight with Selena before. They were yowling and hissing and rolling around on the ground—"

"Did you get video?" Nightwing blurted, unthinkingly.

"Well, of course, but— Starfire! No! Not the shirt, that's my new suit! Put it down!" Batman glanced at Nightwing wildly, then jabbed a finger at the screen. "Look! Dick! He's got leather!"

Starfire filled in the camera, wearing nothing but Batman's leather pants and a purple bra which left nothing to the imagination and Nightwing could imagine a lot. She leaned forward, placing both hands on either side of the screen, her image taking up the whole view. Her bosom heaved and shone with sweat and Nightwing's legs turned to jelly at the look she gave him through the camera. "Dick," she purred, giggled, rocked from side to side, then vanished.

Batman and Nightwing stared at each other for a moment, then, "Holy hot leather pants, Batman."

TTTTT

Cyborg was packing up for the night when the Tower's alarm went off. Noting it was from the Nightwatch, he absently answered it. "What up, man?" he asked inattentively.

"Code stork."

Cyborg froze, then swivelled to face the screen. "I thought the code was 'bump and grind'."

Nightwing, looking both harried and eager at once as his fingers flew across the keyboard in front of him, took a moment to glare at Cyborg. "And I thought we agreed never to let Changeling name the codes."

"True dat," Cyborg said. "Sooner than we thought."

"I was hoping for another week."

Cyborg waved his hand. "It's cool, I'll come man the Nightwatch—"

Nightwing looked aghast. "Fuck, Cy, don't come here."

"What?"

"She's coming, I can feel it, and it's irresistible. I won't have time to get home. If I try to run… I don't even want to think about what'll happen. I'll barely have enough time to disable the cameras and put this place into lockdown mode before—"

"Richaaaaard," crooned a singsong voice.

A yowl, a flash of red hair and Nightwing was tackled. The chair he was sitting on flew away, crashing somewhere a short distance away and Nightwing and Starfire disappeared beneath the desk and all that remained was a loud rumbling noise. A few seconds later, a half shredded black and blue glove groped its way up over the edge of the desk, gave Cyborg a hearty thumbs up and pressed the final button to initiate lockdown.

"Just whose pants were those?" Cyborg asked the dead screen.

TTTTT

Cyborg, being the good friend he was, informed Raven, Changeling and Oracle about the 'occurrence' in the Nightwatch and deployed some of the new Gen Titans to watch over Bludhaven from the secondary watch post while Nightwing and Starfire were indisposed.

Changeling decided if Nightwing was getting some, he was entitled too, and borrowed Raven's mirror. Again.

The Ravens, remembering Changelings expedition up Starfire's skirt, were not amused.

Oracle put on blinders and double-checked to make sure all the cameras in the Nightwatch were disabled, secretly disabling two that Nightwing missed. Cyborg informed the Network that Nightwing and Starfire were indisposed and no one was to attempt to gain access to the Nightwatch, under _any_ circumstances. Once they were done with their tasks, there was a mutual decision to test out Cyborg's latest adaption, aptly named 'many pronged magic', moving onto the tried and true 'sparkling adapter', and finally 'the punisher' and ignore the rest of the world too.

Flash, as a Justice League member and no longer part of the Network and failed to listen when his fiancé mentioned the lockdown at the Nightwatch, did not know.

TTTTT

A hand dragged itself away from skin at a thigh, clutching at the back of a neck, wet kisses slithered against the throat, over the jaw line to latch onto a panting mouth. Shared breath, skin to skin, sliding sweat, slithering tongues and teeth and mouth. A jumble of movement under a haze of hormones. Flesh melded together, frenzied, sensual, a frantic need for release.

There were many victims in the fight for dominance. Tables were swept clean of equipment, walls crumbled as they were braced against. Instruments cracked and broke as melded bodies grappled for handholds, footholds, rear holds. A desk broke under the pressure of feisty Tamaranian strength. Violence and sex, the intricacies of Tamaranian nature. Trapped and dammed to protect the weaker, the surroundings paid the price, unfortunate casualties of war.

Peak and furrow, ebb and flow, the tidal wardens clutched at desperate snatches of fulfilment shrouded by relaxation before the battle began anew.

TTTTT

Wally was irritated.

It was their monthly 'piss-up' and Dick was a no-show. Really, it was a few beers, a couple of games of pool or darts, and good laughs but Wally liked calling it a piss-up to annoy Jinx. Normally, if either of them were busy with an alert or family matters, a quick phone-call or communication bleep was all that was needed.

Wally hadn't heard a word. The bastard wasn't even answering his comm.

He grumbled and groaned and ran to Dick and Kori's apartment in Bludhaven, only to discover it was empty and the lights were off. Pulling a face, Wally donned his uniform for a dash to the Nightwatch to see if he could locate his best friend.

What he saw shocked him completely.

The large, titanium and kryptonite reinforced door of the Nightwatch, which was supposed to be impenetrable, had two large, finger splayed hand impressions poking through the door. From the inside.

Flash stared at it in horror. Concern superseded caution as he punched the override code into the pad on the side of the door. The hands embedded in the door jammed it part way open and the door groaned, but Flash pushed by undaunted.

The Nightwatch had been hit by a tornado. A localised firestorm. A fluorescent light hung crooked from the ceiling, emitting a noisy shower of sparks. Nightwing's desk was cleaved in two and the pieces thrown to opposite ends of the room. Nightwing's favourite coffee mug was a shattered mess on an already debris strewn floor. Water dripped from a broken pipe. A supporting concrete column was cracked and broken, the debris scattered around the floor. Shredded paper confettied everything. Towered filing cabinets fell against one another, their drawers open and bleeding files. One of the Nightwatch computer screens fizzled and blinked snow.

"Boss!" Flash called, inching his way into nightmare. He picked a piece of wood and moved it aside. "Boss! Shit." He whacked his shin on a chunk of concrete and hopped up and down for a moment. "Boss! Are you okay?"

A low growl rumbled through the room and for a moment Flash thought a tiger had escaped from the zoo. His body went on high alert. A wild animal he could handle, but what sort of animal would cause this much damage?

There was a pair of black leather pants draped over broken light fixture which caught Flash's attention. "Boss! Fucking hell, Dick, are you here?"

"Wally?" Nightwing's voice sounded weak, hoarse.

"Where are you?" Flash couldn't quite locate the sound of Nightwing's voice.

"Fuck, Wal, you need to get out of here." Nightwing sounded panicked now.

Flash kept picking his way through the room, keeping an eye out for falling debris and whatever animal was making that steadily louder growl. "Not without you." He dodged a portion of collapsed roof. "Boss, what happened here?"

"No, you don't understand—"

Many things happened at once, and because Flash moved instantly into sonic speed, they all happened incredibly slow. Starfire, a gloriously naked, wild eyed, bedroom haired Starfire, launched herself at Flash from the gloom.

Now, normally Flash was all for women throwing themselves at him, he was a handsome, charismatic man after all, always a hit with the ladies. Saying he was engaged usually deterred the ladies. If that didn't work, his lovely Jinxy had a wonderful way of dealing with them which was always fun to watch.

But seeing a naked, Amazonian type woman launch themselves at him was not a sight he saw every day. Or ever.

Flash, travelling at his ultrasonic speed, thought many, many things at once. The most prominent thought was 'boobies', followed by 'Dick's gonna kill me', and then some more 'boobies'. Because his brain was now occupied with the task of committing the image to memory, even with the possibility of 'Death by Dick', it had completely forgotten to give his body any commands.

Flash was a deer caught in headlights. And the headlights were coming for him.

Then Dick, mask less, similarly naked, covered in scratches and soot, and apparently in the middle of having happy time with his wife, suddenly appeared flying through the air to catch Starfire around the waist.

His brain burning with horror, Flash suddenly remembered how to breathe, and things returned to normal time.

Dick wrestled his growling wife to the ground, attempting to pin her. Starfire roared and began to struggle. "Run!" Dick screamed over his shoulder.

Flash, ever the eloquent, said, "Huh?"

"Fine," Dick snapped from atop Starfire as his hands pinned her wrists. How, Flash wasn't sure, since he knew how much stronger Starfire was than Dick. "Watch, then."

"Watch?" Flash echoed dumbly.

Making a horrid, hair standing on end yowling, Starfire slipped Dick's grip and launched herself at Flash again. This time, all Flash managed to do was take a step backward before Dick tackled Starfire's back, forced her to the ground on her stomach and sunk his teeth into her shoulder.

Starfire went instantly docile. And began to purr. And stuck her rear in the air.

Dick loosened his grip and –

Flash ran.

He ran until his lungs burned. He ran until the muscles in his legs throbbed. He ran until he was drenched in sweat. Round and round and round the world he went, until his body shut down, unable to run anymore.

It still wasn't far enough to escape the images now burned into his brain.

TTTTT

Batman thumbed pause.

He stared at the message which just appeared on his computer. Reports of a blurred red and yellow shape moving at ultrasonic speeds were appearing from around the world. Paris, Madrid, Johannesburg, Tokyo, even Sydney and Wellington were also reported sightings. Strangely, each sighting was followed a few moments later by a disembodied voice screaming 'fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu-'.

Batman stared at the report and forwarded it to Superman. Superman could worry about it; he was the one with super speed after all. Batman was working.

Batman pressed play.

"Master Bruce, I have been unable to locate your pants from the leather suit… is that Starfire and Catwoman?"

TTTTT

The brief interruption didn't really register in either of their minds. Dick was vaguely aware he'd have some explaining to do after all this was over, but mostly he was thinking about how good Starfire felt beneath his hands.

Starfire's one track mind was awash with feeling , a desperate wanton desire which demanded fulfilment. The only fact which registered, other than the place they were in was safe (only just) was Dick and how he felt, the rhythm of his movements. The scent of him enveloped her and kept her tethered to him. She was lost to the feeling, the instinct of _morn'lo, _there was nothing else. Every action was a result of the hormones racing through her. Every instinct was transferred through their link into Dick.

But unlike Starfire, Dick had the luxury of picking and choosing which instincts he obeyed. He was not bound as she was. He embraced the lust, the desire, the love emulating from Starfire to flow over him, but kept his head. His actions, though swayed by her, were his own. Not that it would do him a lot of good, Starfire was intently focused on him, he hadn't even been able to move them.

_Morn'lo_ was like nothing either of them had experienced, even the shower on Tamaran after the Battle of the Citadel was nowhere near as intense as what they were experiencing now. Single minded determination to be joined, the world be damned.

They were older now, fitter, stronger, practiced. They knew the other's body like their own. They knew the quickest way to release, and the lingering, more intense ways for prolonged climax.

Karma Sutra had nothing on the Graysons. The Joy of Sex was a fucking footnote in a thousand page novel. They rode the waves of each other, crested at the peak, rested at the trough, a never ending swell.

Fast or slow, rough or tender, it didn't matter to _morn'lo_, so long as they were joined. After the initial frenzy died down and the tide began to turn, there existed long moments of kissing, snatches of sleep, tender exploration, whispered caresses of names, soft moans and rumbling purrs as the mood took them again.

What had been a mutual decision, "Oh, let's make a baby," had turned into something more, an experience neither would quite remember and a feeling they would never forget.

Dick watched Starfire's slow return to awareness through his own haze of lust and love. He banked the fire inside her until it was a glowing ember, then doused the flame within his own breast.

The glow of Starfire's eyes dimmed and she sighed and relaxed. "Greetings," she said, her voice rough with exhaustion, in her first coherent words since it all began.

"Hi there," Dick said and rested his weight on his elbows, pressing their chests together. "Welcome back."

Her hands were resting on his hips and she gave them a tired squeeze. "It certainly was an interesting experience. I lost myself."

Dick chuckled, "You can say that again."

She frowned at him and tilted his head to see one of the many bruises on his cheek. "I hope I did not damage you too much." Her hand slipped limply to her chest and she looked like she was struggling to stay awake.

He laughed and kissed the side of her mouth. "Don't you worry about me, _d'anthe l'ani_. I'll feel it in the morning, but it's nothing a good month of sleep won't cure."

"Good," she said, relaxing further and closed her eyes.

"Can't say the same of our surroundings."

"Pardon?" she asked and opened her eyes. He allowed her a moment to take in the carnage. "_X'hal_ preserve us," she exclaimed. "Are we in the Nightwatch?"

"The place formally known as the Nightwatch," Dick replied, laughingly. "Bruce is going to flip at the cost of getting all this fixed." He nodded toward the doorway. "And you dented the door. Nice work."

"_X'hal_," she repeated, visibly upset. "Richard, I am so sorry, I—"

"I think Bruce is going to be more concerned about the leather pants you stole."

Starfire stared at him, wide eyed. "No," she breathed. "I didn't."

"You did, looked very hot in them too, I might add. I'll get you a pair of your own." He laughed. "I haven't seen Batman that flustered in a long time. And then there was Wally. I'll probably have to hire him a good therapist. After I kill him for taking mental pictures."

She groaned and closed her eyes. "_X'hal_. So that did happen, I had hoped I was imagining things. Oh, _X'hal_, they are never going to forgive us—"

"Sure they will," he said, giddy. "I'll put on my cute face. Bruce'll be putty, he can't resist the eyes." He fluttered his eyes to illustrate.

Starfire frowned at him. "You are sounding very much like you are intoxicated. Are you sure you are well?"

Dick blinked at her and considered. "Exhausted, maybe?"

"Perhaps I should call Raven," Starfire said, concerned. "I may have damaged your head."

"Not that I remember," Dick said. "I'm a little lightheaded, but there's no pain. Plus, we'd need to find the spare suits or I'll have to hire Raven a therapist too. I'm too tired to think about where they ended up under all this. Let's worry about this after we've gotten some sleep."

"I really think I should—"

Dick kissed her. "Shush," he whispered, feeling her body relax. "Sleep."

"Hmm," she replied, closing her eyes and wriggling until she was comfortable. "Yes."

"Um, can I get out now?" he asked. "Without getting growled at? I wasn't made for this sort of prolonged activity."

She opened one eye. "Oh. Yes. I apol—"

"No more apologies, Star," Dick muttered as he eased into a more comfortable position, snuggled into her side to use her breast as a pillow. He winced in pain. "I'm so going to feel this. Ow."

Starfire sighed and ran her fingers through his hair lazily.

"Next time, I'll get Raven to hook me up with Viagra," he muttered and closed his eyes as a wave of exhaustion washed over him.

Finally, as the sun sank below the horizon, nearly sixty five hours after _morn'lo_ onset, they slipped into an exhausted yet thoroughly fulfilled sleep.

Dawn would break to a new day and together they would face the coming storm and discover the monumental cost of their epic adventure. Then would start the waiting game until the next onset. After that, who knows?

_**

* * *

Author's note:**_

_I do!_

_Acknowledgements:_

_**Katergator**, for being my awesome America vs Australia slang adviser, for telling me to make it funnier while still putting in 'the smex', and for Flash's accidental exposure to burning images (yes, I blame you). You rock. I double dutch dare you to illustrate this._

_**Star of Airdrie,** for reminding me I had to do my Christmas special and providing a simple sentence that got the balls rolling (pun intended), and her husband and for the idea of 'Grayson' from the story 'One Man's Junk', which I have quite shamelessly adapted (snicker) here. Naughty me. _

_To you all, for being awesome readers. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Christmas this year, in the company of good friends and family and zorkaberry pie._

_Also, while I have people's attention (you are reading this, right?), I think this will be the last E'ara universe fic. Any more that come from me will be pure stand alone. I feel E'ara has been overdone now. Aren't you all sick of it yet? Please, please don't ask for a pregnancy fic. It won't happen._

_Unless of course I get the urge to write the 'Snowballing' fic that RabulaTasa proposed to me a couple a years ago that has yet to be published. Or Stolen II. Hmm…_

_Toodles!_

_Cheers  
Kryalla  
_


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